Behind Closed Doors
by Vastulja Sata Menton
Summary: Life was going great, until that fateful night when everyone's lives would be turned upside down. Heartbreak, revolations, and unexpected events will change their lives forever.
1. Part One

Behind Closed Doors

_**Vastulja Sata Menton**_

_Part 1_

A distant pounding pulled Duo from the dream he was having; a very nice dream one might add. The pounding continued and Duo realized that it was knocking on the front door. He groaned and dragged himself out of bed. He ignored the clock as he pulled a pair of jeans on, but noticed that Heero hadn't stirred from his sleep. It never ceased to amaze him. Once the war was over, Heero turned out to be a heavy sleeper. Duo figure that he probably hadn't actually slept much during that time. He sighed and made his way to the front door of their apartment. The knocking continued and Duo promptly opened the door. What he found before him was a very soaked Quatre. Sad eyes looked up at him, and if it hadn't been for the rain dripping down his face, Duo could have sworn he saw a tear fall.

"Quatre! Come in out of the rain." Duo ushered his friend in, closing the door behind him.

"Thanks, Duo."

"Stay right there. I'll get you a towel." Duo rushed into the bathroom to grab a clean towel, not caring that the bright light sown into the bedroom. He quickly too the towel to Quatre and wrapped it around the shivering boy. "Come on." He pulled him over to the couch and sat him down. As Duo wrapped a blanket around him, Heero came out, clad in a pair of green boxers. His eyes fell on Duo and Quatre and they looked up at him. He instantly turned around and left, to put on a pair of pants no doubt. Duo turned back to Quatre. "Do you want something to drink? A hot cup of tea maybe?"

Quatre pulled the towel and blanket around himself. "That would be nice, if it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all." Duo went to the kitchen and put some water on the stove. He looked at the time while he was at it, noticing that it was three in the morning. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before going back to the living room. He sat down beside Quatre and pulled him into an embrace. As Duo worked at drying Quatre off as best he could, Heero came out dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top and went to the kitchen. Duo could hear the sound of mugs clanking together and a cupboard being opened and quickly closed. "How you doin', Quat? Are you okay?"

Quatre took a deep shivery breath. "I think…I'll be okay for the time being."

The teakettle whistled and soon Heero came out of the kitchen with three mugs of hot tea. Duo accepted his with a small smile to his partner, and Quatre took his with a 'thanks'. There was a small silence as they all sipped their tea. Finally, Duo set his mug down and turned to the blond man. "Quatre, what's going on? Duo you want to talk about it?"

Quatre sighed and put his drink down on the coffee table. "I don't even know where to begin." He sighed again. "Things…have been rough lately between Trowa and I."

"What do you mean? We just saw you two together last week. Everything looked fine," Duo pointed out.

"Looks can be deceiving, Duo. I don't know. We're still together but – we talk less than we used to. We don't even sleep in the same bed anymore for god's sake. I feel like I hardly know him anymore." Quatre looked to Duo, tears threatening to break the damn that he was holding up. "We got into a fight. Not the first, far from. But, the worst by far."

Duo placed a reassuring hand on Quatre's shoulder. "What do you mean 'worst'?" Quatre looked away, almost unwilling to let someone know the secrets that went on behind closed doors. "Quatre?"

Quatre sobbed and tears began to fall. Duo's heart broke a little at the sight of one of his best friends crying. Quatre shrugged the blanket and towel off, despite Duo's protest. He stood, avoiding making eye contact with Heero, and moved around the coffee table so that his back was facing them. Slowly, he lifted the back of his short up to show the marks. There were older scars, which could have been form the war, though Duo doubted it, and newer more prominent welts covered his back. It looked quite painful. Duo saw fire and his blood boiled. Had this been happening all this time and no one had known? Why hadn't Quatre told anyone until now? Quatre let his shirt fall back over his back; he turned and sat back down on the couch, pulling the blanket around himself.

"Oh god Quatre." Duo couldn't think, couldn't figure it out. "W-why?"

"Why what Duo? Why does he do it? Why do I let him? Why haven't I said anything?" He sighed. "I'm honestly not sure." Duo frowned and pulled Quatre into a light embrace. "I thought that things would change. He said he loved me, that it wouldn't happen again. It was always an accident. But this time-" Quatre pulled away and looked Duo in the eyes. "He lost it Duo, and I-I can't do it anymore. I don't want this."

Duo caught Heero's gaze before looking back to Quatre. "It's okay Quatre. He wont hurt you anymore, we wont let him." Duo hugged Quatre. He wasn't going to let his friend be hurt anymore.

XXX

Quatre had stayed with Heero and Duo for a few days so that things could cool down. They had all agreed that it was best if Quatre broke if off with Trowa, and Duo and Heero would be there for moral support as well as protection, just in case. On the third day, Quatre was ready to get back home. He felt rested and, though he was scared, confident with Heero and Duo by his side.

Quatre was sitting on the couch when Duo and Heero came out of the bedroom. Duo was pulling on a hoddie and Heero was carrying a suitcase. It was actually Duo's suitcase; he had agreed to stay with Quatre until Trowa moved out, just to be safe. Heero was reluctant but gave in when Duo gave him the sad puppy look.

"Ready to go?" Duo smiled. Quatre nodded, letting a small smile creep onto his face. Duo grabbed his hand and led Quatre out the door before Heero locked it. The drive was short and silent. Quatre was too nervous to talk, trying to figure out what to say to Trowa. They were at his mansion, in too quick of time, and getting out. Quatre stood, looking at the house as if it were the object of his fears, and not someone inside. "Come on buddy." Duo clapped him on the shoulder, urging him on. The Arab man sighed and nodded, making his way to the front door. He let himself in and held the door open for Duo and Heero.

As they stepped in, they noted that there was the normal bustle of any other regular day. The maids were cleaning, and Quatre saw that the signs of his and Trowa's fight had been cleaned up. The blood Arab took a deep breath and went to one of the maids dusting. "Good morning, Sarah."

"Oh, good morning Master Quatre."

"Um, do you know where Trowa is, Sarah?"

"I believe he is in the library sir." The young maid pointed down the hallway. "Is there anything else, sir?"

"Yes. Could you take Duo's things up to the room next to mine please? Thank you." Quatre gave the girl a small smile.

"Certainly sir." She smiled and put down the dusting cloth she had been using. She went and took Duo's things from him and headed upstairs.

"Well, here goes," Quatre muttered to himself. He motioned for Duo and Heero to follow him and he made his way down the hallway towards the library. He stopped at the closed library doors, staring at them as if he were questioning what he was about to do. Duo placed a hand on his shoulder, telling him that they were there for him. Quatre nodded and opened the doors. Trowa was reading a book on one of the couches facing away from the large window over looking the garden. A smile came to his face when he looked up and saw Quatre, but it was immediately replaced with a look of confusion when his eyes fell upon Duo and Heero. Quatre sat down in a chair across from Trowa; Duo sat down on the arm of the chair and Heero stood cross-armed on the other side of the blond man. Quatre wished that the coffee table was still between the two furniture items to separate them, but it had been broken the week before during a fight. "Trowa, we need to talk." Quatre's voice sounded stronger than he felt.

"Ok, what do you want to talk about?" Trowa set his book down, leaning forward a little bit. "And why are they here?"

"I asked them to be, that's why." Quatre bit. "And I want to talk about our relationship.

"Okay, what about it?" Trowa's voice rose a notch and Heero's eyes narrowed. Tension in the room was starting to grow thick.

"I think it would be best if we started seeing other people." Quatre kicked himself on the inside. It was such a lame lime, but he couldn't think of anything else at the moment. (Or maybe the author couldn't 4.4 )

"So you're breaking up with me?" There was anger in Trowa's voice and an evil look in his eyes.

"Yes." Quatre nodded curtly.

Trowa jumped up from his seat and began to shout. "So you're just going to throw two years down the drain?!"

Quatre leapt to his feet, courage welling up inside of him. "Yes I am!"

"Why?"

"Because I don't have to take this! One and a half years of hell isn't worth it! I should have broke n up with you a long time ago!" Quatre shouted.

Something ignited in Trowa and his hand rose to strike Quatre across the face. Heero acted faster though, catching Trowa's arm and grabbing the collar of his shirt. He lifted the other man up and gave him a death glare. "Lay another hand on him, Barton, and you'll wish you had been killed during the war," Heero spat.

"What are you going to do, kill me?" Trowa sneered.

Heero drew the other man closer, whispering, "There are worse things than death, Trowa. Much worse." Trowa glared back, pulling himself loose and stumbling back.

"Fine!" He yelled. "But hear me now Quatre Winner. You'll come crawling back! I bet my life on it!"

"Get the hell out of my house Trowa Barton! Get out right now!" Quatre shouted. "You can get your stuff later."

Trowa stomped out, brushing past Heero on his way. Quatre sighed and fell back into the chair. He had done it. It hadn't been easy, but he had done it. A small smile formed on his lips. He was finally free.

_End Part 1_

**AN: Yeah, OOC Trowa a bit. I've always found Trowa hard to write. Um, not much else to say.**


	2. Part Two

Behind Closed Doors

**_Vastulja Sata Menton_**

_Part 2_

Trowa had been given two days to get his stuff out and Duo would stay until Trowa left for the final time. Quatre was doing much better; with Duo there he wasn't worried that Trowa would try something. Stupid. Something happened the first night while Duo was there though, and the simple world that Quatre had stepped into shattered into a million tiny pieces.

Duo had persuaded Quatre to have a few drinks, to celebrate. A few drinks had turned into a few more, and both Duo and Quatre found themselves teetering on being drunk.

"I have to admit, Duo. I haven't drank in quite some time, and it's kind of nice." Quatre smiled widely. His cheeks were starting to glow, and he was feeling very warm.

"It really helps. It's good to loosen up every once in awhile," Duo agreed.

"Oh! I have to show you something!" Quatre stood up on wobbly legs. He grabbed Duo's hand and pulled him up. "Come with me."

Duo was led out of the parlor and upstairs to Quatre's room. He wondered what Quatre wanted to show him; his mind was in a fuzz from all the alcohol. Maybe he had drunk just a little too much. They entered the room, and Quatre finally let go of Duo's hand. "So what is it that you wanted to show me?" Duo asked as he stood in the middle of the room.

Quatre spun around and thought. "I can't really remember," he admitted with a giggle. "You know, Duo. I've always really liked you."

"Oh?"

"Mmhmm." Unexpectedly, Quatre kissed Duo on the lips. Coherent thought wasn't' really possible for the American, so he leaned into the kiss, deepening it more. Duo explored the new uncharted territory of Quatre's mouth. As Duo's hands wandered, Quatre slowly backed Duo into a couch against the wall. The kiss was sharply broken when Quatre pushed Duo down on the couch. The blond boy stripped off his shirt before quickly removing Duo's. Quatre straddled Duo before reinitiating the kiss.

"Mmm, Duo moaned as Quatre's pelvis ground against his. It was no lie that both of them were very aroused. Duo's hands came up to unbutton Quatre's pants and his own. Quatre smiled and pulled away to stand up. He quickly slipped the remainder of his clothing off and helped Duo out of his. The blond Arab slowly straddled Duo, gently pushing Duo's weeping member against his entrance. "Wait, Quatre. This is wrong." The words came out, but Duo was too drunk to stop what was happening.

There was passion in Quatre's deep blue-green eyes and the world melted away as he slowly seated himself on Duo's hard member.

"Ahh!" Duo sounded; his hips bucked at the sensation of filling Quatre. He was in pure ecstasy, and all thoughts of Heero were banished. It was wrong, but it felt so right. Quatre began to move and rock, digging fingers into Duo's shoulders. Duo took hold of Quatre's hips and began to move the other boy up and down. Quickly, a rhythm was set and the only thing that could be heard in the room was the sound of their desperate, harsh pants. "Oh gods' Quatre!" Duo exclaimed. He knew he was close to the breaking point, and he quickly grabbed Quatre's neglected member and pumped it in time with their movements. Quatre bit down on Duo's neck, coming into the American's hand. Quatre's release caused his body to clench down on Duo's, and the amazing feeling became too much as the American came hard deep inside of Quatre.

Quatre sucked on Duo's neck as they broth came down from their high. Duo sighed, letting his hands roam across Quatre's body. He couldn't stop touching the other boy; he wanted more. Slowly, he pulled out of Quatre but let the boy stay seated on his lap. "I-I want more of you Duo." Quatre breathed. Duo's mind was still in the clouds and he was still very drunk.

"Give me ten minutes." Duo answered. Ten minutes later they found themselves on Quatre's bed. Quatre was under Duo, writhing in pleasure as Duo pounded into him. They were in pure bliss, and they would both end up climaxing a few minutes later and passing out in each other's arms.

XXX

Duo woke the next morning with a pounding headache. He groaned and turned over, bumping into something in the process. He slowly opened his eyes to find a very naked Quatre lying next to him. Confusion engulfed him, until the night before flashed in his mind. Duo's eyes shot open and he swiftly rolled himself off of the bed. Quatre continued to sleep as Duo panicked. _Oh my god, oh my god! What have I done?!_ He looked around, finding his discarded clothing on the ground. He grabbed his things, throwing on his jeans, and went to the door. He peaked out into the hallway before rushing over to his room next door.

"Oh my god!" He hissed, throwing his clothing on the bed. He needed a shower, weather to clean himself or because of some unconscious urge to wash away he sin he didn't want to know. He grabbed a towel and nearly ran to the bathroom. As he let the hot water of the shower run off his body, he considered the situation that he was in. He needed to talk to someone, and Quatre and Heero were obviously out of the question, as was Trowa. He could talk to Wufei, but he needed help not a rant on injustices. Who else could he talk to though? There was only one person left: Hilde. He would have to go talk to her when he left.

That day, Quatre stayed in his room for the most part. Trowa came and got all of his belongings as Duo kept an eye on him. When Trowa finally left, Duo knew that he could leave that day. He breathed a sigh of thanks; he wasn't sure if he would be able to spend another night there. He had his things together early that evening, and Quatre had been kind enough to see him off.

"Well, thank you for…helping me with this whole Trowa situation." Quatre kept his eyes to the ground, avoiding eye contact.

"You're welcome. Um, if Heero calls just let him know I went over to Hilde's to…talk about some things." Quatre nodded and Duo turned and left. He quickly drove over to Hilde's, praying that she was there. When he arrived, he thanked the gods' that the lights were on. He quickly went to the door, knocking impatiently.

"Coming!" Came a shout from inside. A moment later, the door was opened. "Oh, Duo. Hey." Hilde smiled.

"Hey, Hilde. Can I come in, I need to talk."

"Oh sure." Hilde led Duo in and sat him down on the couch. She sat down in a chair and turned to him. "So, what's up Duo?"

"Oh Hilde! I need your help!" Duo broke, a look of desperation on his face. "I-I, oh my god what have I done?!"

Hilde was in utter shock, almost not sure what to do. "What is it Duo?"

"Oh god Hilde. I've done something terrible! I don't even know where to begin," Duo sighed, slumping back.

"How about you start at the beginning?"

Duo took a deep breath and told Hilde the entire story starting with Quatre showing up at his place to him going to her for help (though he kept some details out). "What have I done? I've cheated on Heero!"

Hilde took a moment to let it all process. "Duo, how do you feel about Quatre?"

Duo looked up. "He's my friend, why?"

"Are you sure there isn't more there?"

Duo sighed. "Well…"

"Well? Well you can lie to the world, Duo, but you're just lying to yourself in the end." Hilde pointed out.

"Okay! I've always been attracted to Quatre. But, he liked Trowa and they ended up together. So, I mean I liked Heero too. I'm not saying that Heero was my only other option, but…oh I'm a horrible person!"

Hilde moved to sit down next to Duo and hugged him. "No you're not Duo. Look at it like this: a lot of people like someone they can't have. It does no good to brood, so you simply go out and find someone else you like. You like Heero; there is nothing wrong with you dating him. Okay?"

Duo nodded. "But what do I do now?"

"Have you talked with Quatre about any of this?"

"No. He stayed in his room all day today. And when he saw me off he wouldn't even make eye contact."

"Duo you need to talk to him, and Heero. You can't keep this from him. Do you even want to stay with Heero?"

"I-I don't know. I wouldn't like to be with Quatre, but he just broke up with Trowa and I don't know if it's such a good idea to peruse him at the moment. But I know that I can't stay with Heero guiltlessly."

Hilde took a deep breath. "Duo, I think you know what you need to do."

Duo nodded. "Thanks Hilde."

Hilde hugged Duo. "You're welcome. You know you can come to me any time."

Duo smiled. "Well, I better get going. I'll talk to you later. And, I'll keep you updated on all of this."

"Okay, you drive safe."

Duo left, but took his time getting back to his and Heero's apartment. He knew what he had to do; he just didn't want to do it. He couldn't lie to Heero though. It would hurt, but he had to follow his heart. Before he knew it, he was at the apartment complex. It was still early in the evening, but there was a light on in the living room. Well, Heero was home. Duo took a deep breath, chuckling to himself. He realized the irony of the situation just then. He left his car and proceeded to his apartment. He stopped at the front door, wondering if Quatre had felt the same way a few days earlier. He opened the door and slowly stepped in, taking in the scene. Heero was on the couch watching something on TV. He looked up when Duo walked in and smiled. But Duo couldn't smile back, not even a fake one. This caused Heero to frown.

"Duo, is everything okay?" Heero stood and made his way to his lover.

Duo closed his eyes and shook his head. "Heero, we have to talk." He opened his eyes and pulled Heero over to the couch. He turned off the TV and focused on the former Wing pilot.

"What's going on?"

"Heero, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. Everything went wrong."

"Duo, what are you talking about?"

"Heero, I can't lie to you. I cheated on you with Quatre. It all happened so fast. It was an accident. We were drunk and, and I'm sorry!" Duo exclaimed dramatically.

Heero blinked. It was clear that he was in shock. Duo prepared himself for the worst. But it didn't come. "You say it was an accident, and you're being honest with me. I forgive you, as long as it doesn't happen again."

It was Duo's turn to blink. It wasn't going right. Heero was supposed to hate him and break up with him. Now he had to do the hard part. He sighed. "Heero, that isn't all. I realized some things while I was there. I love you Heero, I do. But, I'm _in_ love with someone else. And I can't lie to you. I'm sorry Heero." Duo hoped that Heero stayed calm.

Heero just looked at Duo, shocked. "Wow, that's unexpected. SO, I guess this is it then."

"You…aren't mad?"

"Of course I'm mad. Mad, upset, hurt…a lot of things. But I wont let those feelings control me." Heero answered tight-lipped. Duo could just see the mask that he had broken a year ago fall back into place on Heero's face.

"Oh. Well, um…I guess I'll be back in the morning to get my stuff." Duo stood.

"Do you have some place to stay?" Heero inquired.

"Yeah; I'll just call Hilde."

Heero nodded and stood. There was an awkward tension between them. Duo smiled before leaving. Once he was back in his car, he called Hilde.

"_Hello?_"

"Hilde. Hey, um can I stay at your place for the night?"

"_Duo; oh. Uh, yeah. Just come on over._"

"Okay, thanks. I'll be there in a few. Bye."

"_Bye._"

_End Part Two_


	3. Part Three

Behind Closed Doors

_**Vastulja Sata Menton**_

_Part Three_

Duo had gotten all of his things from the apartment and had been staying with Hilde for a week. He had taken that week off of work so that he could put his things in storage and look for a place to live. He had just found the apartment he had been looking for when his cell phone rang.

"Y-ello." Duo answered, driving away from the complex he had just looked at.

"_Duo! Where have you been? I've been calling the apartment all day yesterday and today but no one had answered. I need to talk to Heero_." It was Wufei, and he didn't sound happy.

Duo stopped at a read light. "Uh…" Wufei didn't know about anything that had happened in the past two weeks.

"_So where is Heero?_"

"I…wouldn't know. I haven't seen or talked to him for a week." Duo drove down the road towards Hilde's place. He was eager to tell her the good news.

"_What?! What's going on Duo?_"

"Well, I broke up with Heero about a week ago. So….yeah."

There was silence at the other end of the line. "_Well, that's unexpected. At least Quatre and Trowa are still together_."

"Not…exactly." Duo pulled into the driveway of Hilde's townhouse but stayed in his car.

"_What?! I leave for two weeks and the world gets turned upside down_." There was a sigh. "_Whatever. Duo you know how I can get a hold of Heero?_"

"No. All I can suggest is to wait for tomorrow and talk to him at work."

"_Alright. Well, I guess I'll see you at work tomorrow_."

"Bye." Duo hung up and sighed. He had forgotten that Wufei had been on vacation for two and a half weeks. It was amazing would could happen in such a short time.

XXX

Duo didn't really want to go back to work. It would be nice to see Wufei again, but Heero and Trowa worked on the same floor. Trowa wouldn't be too bad to deal with, just unpleasant. But Heero, well it would just be awkward. Duo took a deep breath as the doors of the elevator opened. He stepped out and made his way to his cubical. It was early, so not many people where there yet. This suited him just fine. He wasn't really in the mood to talk. He spotted Wufei down the hall a bit and by the way that the Chinese man was walking towards him he didn't think there was any way out of the upcoming conversation.

"Duo, you're here early," Wufei commented, stopping to converse. He crossed his arms and leaned against a cubical wall.

"Yeah, well I have to talk to Sally about a few things," Duo informed. He fiddled with the paper in his hands, keeping the writing facing him.

Wufei raised his eyebrows. "Really?" The Chinese man had a look on his face that made it clear he was interested in getting more information. Duo, however, was not going to give it.

"Yeah. Say, I'm moving into my new place this weekend. I was wondering if you would be willing to help me move. I've got Hilde helping out and a third person would be great to have."

"Sure. What about Trowa and Quatre though?" It was pretty obvious that Duo wasn't going to ask Heero to help.

"Uh, well Trowa and I are on rocky ground. And Quatre…well I'd just rather not ask him right now. Hey, did you find Heero and talk to him?" Duo changed the conversation quickly, and Wufei noticed but went along.

"Yeah. He never said why he didn't answer any of my calls, but no matter." Wufei shrugged and uncrossed his arms, marking that the conversation was over. Now it was Duo's turn to be curious and wonder what Wufei had wanted to talk to Heero about. It didn't looked like the Chinese man was going to open up though.

"Okay. Well I'll talk to you later then." Duo nodded, feeling a bit odd. He was defiantly not acting like himself. Wufei nodded back and walked away. Duo sighed and decided to skip going to his cubical and go straight to Sally. He prepared himself as he approached the door to her office. This meeting was not going to be pleasant. He knocked on the door and waited.

"It's open." Came a firm female voice. Duo opened the door and popped his head in.

"A word with you, Ma'am?" Duo inquired politely. Oh yeah, defiantly not himself.

"Certainly, Duo. Come in." Sally smiled from her desk. She put some papers she was working on away and turned her attention to Duo. The American stepped in and closed the door. "Have a seat."

Duo went to the desk but shook his head. "Thank you, but I think I'll stand."

"That's fine. What can I do for you Duo?"

Duo took a deep breath and handed Sally the papers in his hand. "Ma'am, I quit."

Sally's eyes grew big. "I beg you pardon?"

"I quit," Duo repeated.

"You're kidding me, right?" The brunet woman looked through the resignation forms half-hazardly.

"No, I'm very serious."

"But, but why?" Sally exclaimed, throwing the papers down on the desk.

"Personal reasons, Ma'am. I feel it is in my best interest to pursue a career in something else." Duo wasn't just not acting like himself, he didn't feel like himself.

"If there is a problem Duo we can fix it. We can work with you. Whatever you need." Sally wasn't about to let one of her best men walk out.

"I'm sorry, but this is my decision. However, if you should ever need my services for any reason, an emergency, I will consent to being put on inactive duty so that I may be contacted if needed." Duo had thought it all through. The last bit wasn't for his benefit; he already had a different job lined up. It was because he knew that he was one of their best, and he wanted to leave the option open if they really needed his help. He just couldn't work there anymore, not with Heero working there as well.

"Well, I guess that's better than nothing." Sally sighed. "Very well then. All of the paper work is in order?"

"Yes; everything is there including my consent for inactive duty." Duo nodded.

"Okay. You may go then." Sally gave Duo a sad smile.

"Thank you." Duo turned and left; his next destination was his cubical. He had to have everything out by noon. When he got to his desk. He cursed his habit to let clutter form. It was a good thing he had come in early. He was halfway through cleaning and packing when a head popped in over the cubical wall. Duo looked up to find Trowa watching him with interested eyes.

"What, exactly, are you doing?" Trowa inquired. He brought his arms up to test on the low wall.

"Packing. I quit an hour ago." Duo smiled. He was actually pretty happy about the way things were starting to go.

"You what?! Why?" Trowa looked bewildered.

"Personal reason. I'm staying inactive though." Duo answered. He was pretty much in shock himself. Trowa was actually talking to him. Maybe the Spaniard didn't hat him after all.

"Oh. Okay." There was a pause before Trowa moved and sat down in his cubical.

Duo shrugged and finished packing. Before he left, he made sure that the coast was clear and he had a clear shot to the elevator. He didn't want to answer anyone's questions; let them find out through the grape vine that he had quit. The coast was clear. He grabbed his box of belongings and made a quick getaway. He had made it to the elevator, but he wasn't home free yet. He still had to wait for the damned thing to get there. He watched everything around him, constantly on his toes. It was almost like a mission. He sighed inwardly. It had been awhile since they had seen any real action at the Preventors. The elevator dinged its arrival and Duo jumped in, smashing the button to take him to the parking garage. The doors slid closed and Duo was finally free. He breathed a sigh of relief.

XXX

A week later, Duo was moving with the help of Wufei and Hilde. It would have been nice to have three other sets of hands to help though. Duo didn't want to push his luck with Trowa yet; they had just started talking and the other man didn't know what had happened between Duo and Quatre yet. Quatre; well Duo hadn't quite gotten around to talking to him yet and he wasn't ready to talk to Heero yet. The moving went quite smoothly, and before Duo knew it his furniture was arranged and his things unpacked. He had started his new job as a mechanic a few days earlier. It hadn't been early job to snag. He didn't have any schooling, high school or college, and he had almost lost the opportunity because of that. Duo's work on mobile suits and cars in the past, plus his work with the Preventors, had been the deciding factor. Duo had showed the owner of the business just how much he knew by acing the little test he had been given. It was a good paying job that he enjoyed. It didn't pay nearly as well as the Preventors, but to make a decent living it was enough.

His life was pretty satisfactory, accept for the part of his mind that kept nagging him to talk to Quatre. Hilde wasn't helping either; she just wouldn't drop the issue. It had been almost two weeks since he had quit at the Preventors when Duo finally gave in and said he would go talk to Quatre.

As Duo drove over to his friend's, he realized that it had been three weeks since he had talked to Quatre. He felt horrible! He could only imagine how Quatre felt. He arrived at Quatre's house sooner than he was ready. He parked his car and went to the front door. He knocked and waited. It wasn't long before a Maid opened the door.

"Mister Maxwell." It was Sarah. Duo's nerves calmed a bit.

"Sarah. I need talk to Quatre," Duo informed.

"Oh, right. Please come in. I'll talk you to him." Sarah led Duo in and down a hallway. "I believe he is in the study." They stopped at a pair of doors that looked exactly like those leading to the library. Sarah knocked and they waited.

"Come in." Came a tired voice from inside.

Sarah opened the door and stepped in. Duo followed behind. "Excuse me Sir. But Mister Maxwell is here to see you."

Tired eyes looked up from the paper word on the desk and met unsure eyes. There was a moment as Quatre and Duo stared at each other in silence. Duo could tell that something was different about the other man, other than the fact that he looked like he hadn't slept in a week. "Thank you, Sarah. Let him in."

Sarah stepped aside and let Duo step past her before she left. The doors closed behind Duo and he felt very vulnerable in that moment. He took a deep breath and made his way to the desk.

"What can I do for you, Duo?" Quatre inquired, not going back to his paper work just yet.

"I wanted to talk, Quatre. I've been meaning to come by and do this, but to be honest I've been too much of a coward up until now. I want to talk about what happened that night three weeks ago." Duo said. He was feeling completely exposed, but he hopped that it would be worth it.

For a moment Quatre's eyes grew big. He was defiantly not exacting that to come up. He sighed and stood, directing Duo to follow him over to the seating area. They both sat down diagonal from each other. "Okay then."

Duo nodded. _Right_. "Okay, Quatre. I just want to say that I don't regret what happened that night. I wish it hadn't happened _that_ way, but there's nothing we can do to change the past. I'm not sure if you know, but I broke up with Heero about three weeks ago," Duo started.

"Wufei might have mentioned it," Quatre commented.

"Well, yes. Anyway. Quatre, I'm not really sure how you feel, but I love you," Duo admitted. "I'm _in_ love with you. And maybe you don't feel the same and it was stupid of me to break up with Heero. But I don't care, because nothing is going to change the way I feel about you." Yeah, he was defiantly laying his heart on the line. But you only live once and it was now or never.

Quatre was clearly in shock. "You, you really mean all of that Duo?" The blond asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

"Every word."

Quatre smiled. "You know, I was pretty drunk that night. But I vaguely remember saying something about liking you. And it wasn't the alcohol talking. I've had feelings for you for a long time, but…well the past doesn't really matter. What matters is now."

Duo smiled. He was taking a leap with this, but he had to try. "Quatre, I know that we both just got out of relationships, but I was wondering if you wanted to start seeing each other. But I think we should take it slow if we do."

"I think I like that idea, Duo. I like that idea a lot." Quatre smiled and Duo realized what had been different about the other man when he had stepped into the room. The serenity and joy that the Arabian normally emanated hadn't been there, but he was happy to say that it was now. Duo smiled back, a great weight lifted off his shoulders. He was happier then than he had been in a long time. Things were really starting to look up.

_End Part Three_


	4. Part Four

Behind Closed Doors

_**Vastulja Sata Menton**_

_Part Four_

"So, do any of your sisters help take care of the company, Quat?" Duo asked, popping a sucker into his mouth. He was sitting upside down on the couch in the study, legs dangling over the back, watching Quatre work. They had been dating for a month already, but things were going at a slow steady pace. Duo had thought it was best that he keep his apartment and not move in with Quatre just yet. He wanted to do things right.

"A few of them. They take care of things on the colonies and in other countries. But mostly I take care of things," Quatre answered. He was currently very high up on a ladder, looking through papers hidden in secret cabinets above the bookshelves. Duo didn't quite understand why Quatre bothered with keeping paper work up there; it was so high and impractical. The blond Arab insisted on it though.

"Hmm." Duo hummed around his sucker. Just then, his beeper sounded, startling him to the point of falling off the couch. Duo could hear Quatre snickering behind him as he checked the number. "What the heck?" This caught Quatre's attention. The blond grabbed a folder and closed the cabinet before sliding down the ladder; meanwhile, Duo pulled his phone out and dialed the number.

"Talk to me."

"_Duo. I need your help._" It was Sally, and she sounded panicked.

"What's up?"

"_We've got a bit of a situation. Heero's been kidnapped; we don't know why. But we need you to join Wufei and Trowa in a rescue mission._"

There was silence from Duo. He wasn't sure what to say, wasn't sure how he felt.

"_Duo, are you still there?_"

"I'll call you back in ten minutes Sally."

"_Duo? Duo!_"

The American hung up and turned around to face Quatre. There was a mix of emotions on Duo's face; too many for Quatre to identify. The blond could feel the uneasiness though. "What's going on Duo?"

"That was Sally. She says that Heero's been kidnapped and that they need my help rescuing him." Duo answered apathetically.

"Oh my gosh!" Quatre nearly dropped the folder he was holding. "You're going to help though, right?"

Duo blinked before turning away. He hated to admit it, but part of him really didn't want to do it. As horrible as that was, he couldn't deny it.

"Duo! You have to go! You can't just _not_ go because of a past conflict with Heero. You have to do it!" Quatre demanded, throwing the folder down on the desk. Duo sighed and turned back around to give Quatre a pleading look. "Duo Maxwell, if you don't' go you'll regret it. And not just because something bad could happen to Heero. If you don't go, I'll personally make sure you regret it," Quatre growled, a deadly look in his eye. It wasn't often that Quatre took control of a situation, but when he did he was not one to cross.

"Fine. I'll call Sally." Duo sighed, flipping open his phone and hitting redial.

"_Hello?_"

"Sally, I'll do it."

There was a sigh. "_Thank you, Duo. You will meet Trowa and Wufei in the Preventors parking lot at seventeen hundred hours._"

"Okay. Bye." Duo hung up and looked to Quatre. "I have two hours before I meet up with Trowa and Wufei."

Quatre gave a small smile. "You better get going then." Duo nodded. He stepped up to Quatre and caught his lips in a kiss. The moment was short. Duo stepped away, but before he could get anywhere Quatre grabbed his arm. "Duo, be careful."

Duo flashed his famous grin. "You know me."

"Exactly. Come back to me in one piece."

"I promise. I'll stay safe. I love you."

"I love you too."

Duo left quickly. He had to get home and get ready as fast as he could.

XXX

An hour and a half later, Duo was on his way to the Preventors headquarters. He had his gun tucked away in the back of his jeans and was dressed in black. After the war he had discovered color and had added it to his wardrobe, but black never failed when it came to missions. Duo pulled into the parking lot with ten minutes to spare. He wasn't surprised to find Trowa and Wufei already there waiting. He parked his car and got out to meet them.

"You're early," Wufei pointed out.

"Better early than never," Duo replied, a forced smiled on his face.

"Lets do this." Trowa moved to get into the SUV that they would be taking. Duo got into the front passenger seat and Wufei took the drivers seat. They were quickly on their way.

"So you guys have the location and building plans?" Duo inquired, noticing that Trowa was strapping on a belt equipped with small charges. It looked like they were blowing the place up when they were done.

"Yeah. Glove compartment," Wufei answered as he continued to drive. Duo opened the compartment and pulled out a set of blue prints. He quickly began to memorize the layout as Wufei continued to talk. "So this is the plan. You go in and get to the surveillance room. You've always been best at stealth so you're best suited for this job. Trowa will go in under your lead and strategically place the charges. I will look for Heero with your help. You'll be our eyes around the building, keeping us out of sight. We'll get Heero and get out of there. We'll each have a detonator to the charges just in case something happens to any of us. Any questions?

"Nope." The rest of the ride was in silence.

XXX

Meanwhile, somewhere deep in a disguised building…

"Where are they hiding?" A woman shouted. She raised a hand and smacked Hero hard across the face. "Where are you hiding the mobile suits? I know you know!"

Heero spat blood on the concrete floor. He wasn't going to say anything. It had been a few years since the war, but he could still hold up against beatings. He was currently strapped to an uncomfortable chair. His lip was bleeding and he had a feeling that his nose was broken. It didn't matter though. He wasn't going to let these bastards get a hold of the only mobile suits left.

"Not going to talk, eh? Looks like we're going to have to start breaking things." The woman had a wicked smile on her face, and she snapped her fingers. A large man moved to stand in front of Heero. He cracked his knuckles and smiled evilly. Heero took a deep breath, preparing himself mentally for what was about to happen. No matter what, he couldn't talk.

XXX

Duo slowly crept closer to the entrance of the building. It was dark and he was thankful he had dressed in black. He had to time things perfectly. The guard was pacing back and froth and Duo only had a short window to slip into the building. He timed it; wait, wait…_NOW_! He quickly dashed into the opening and slipped into the building. He had made it, but he wasn't safe yet. He still had to get to the surveillance room undetected. With great stealth, he made his way up a floor and to the center of the building. He was almost there. He was at the door; he pulled his gun out, making sure the silencer was on right, and barged into the room. It came to no surprise to him that the man in the chair was sleeping. Duo shook his head and crept up behind the man. He aimed his gun and pulled the trigger. Well, the silencer was working; the dead man fell to the ground and Duo took over the seat. He scanned the screens and put his headset on.

"Okay, Trowa. You're clear to take out the guard ate the entrance of sector D."

"_Got it._"

Duo watched Trowa take the guard are and quickly enter the building. Wufei followed behind, but they parted ways once they got inside. Duo directed Trowa, keeping him out sight.

"_Where am I going Duo?_" Wufei asked over the headset.

"Hold on, Wufei. I'm looking." Duo searched the screens. The former Wing pilot wasn't in any of the holding cells; that was strange. He would have to look in different rooms.

"_Come on Duo. I don't' have all night._"

"I know; I'm looking. He's not in any of the holding cells. Damnit, Heero. How the hell does a perfect soldier get kidnapped?"

"_Well, he has been pretty out of it lately. For the past month and a half,_" Trowa pointed out, joining the conversation.

"Go left Trowa. And are you trying to say something?" Duo spat, still looking for Heero on the screens. This wasn't working; he'd have to use the thermal scan.

"_Well, if you hadn't dumped him he probably wouldn't be in this situation,_" Trowa bit back.

"Oh this is not my fault. If you had treated Quatre right _none_ of this would have happened," Duo snapped.

"_Me?! You think that this is _my_ fault?!_"

"_That is enough you two! This is not the time to argue about this. Duo have you found Heero yet?_" Wufei interjected.

"I think so. I don't have a visual, but a thermal scan shows three people in a room a floor below you, Wufei. Two people are moving and the third person is in the center of the room not moving. I think that's him," Duo answered, hoping that he was right.

"_We'll have to try it. What room is it Duo?_"

"Down a floor, hallway B, room seven."

"_I'm on my way._"

Duo watched his comrades, directing Trowa and keeping Wufei out of sight.

"_Duo, am I clear to enter the room?_"

"No. The other two bodies are still in there. Hide and wait for my cue. Trowa, are you almost done?"

"_Yeah. One more._"

"Okay; Wufei's probably going to need help." They waited for what seemed like forever, though in reality it was only five minutes. Trowa had met up with Wufei and they were ready to get Heero on Duo's cue. "Heads up. Two bodies leaving the room." Duo watched two red dots leave the room and walk down the hallway. "Coast is clear. Move in." Duo moved his attention to the screens and found the hallway that Trowa and Wufei were in. He watched them to go the door. Duo realized something was wrong just as Wufei contacted him over the headset.

"_Damnit, Duo. It's locked; I need a code to get in. Can you hack the system?_"

"Um, well I can do my best. I'm not nearly as good as Heero, but I'll work on it." He went over to the only computer in the room and began to hack into the security system. He kept an eye on the screens as he flew past the security walls. It took him a few minutes, but he was able to do it. "Got it. You're in." He moved back to the screens, waiting for them to leave the room.

"_Holy shit._"

"What? What's going on Trowa?"

"_Duo, we have to get out of here. Now._"

"I'll meet you guys on the main floor." Duo spun around and quickly left the room. He made his way down to the main floor, watching around corners. They were almost out; he couldn't afford to be seen. He practically slid down the stairs, bursting out into the hallway. His attention was caught by the sounds of gunshots. _Shit!_ He ran towards the sound, hoping he was on the same side of the hall as his comrades. Luck was in his favor tonight. He rounded a corner to find Trowa supporting a barely conscious Heero and Wufei returning fire at the enemy. _Damnit._ He pulled his gun out and gave Wufei a hand.

"Duo!"

"What the hell happened?!" Duo exclaimed, dodging a bullet by inches.

"We didn't' have you watching our backs. We ran right into a group of soldiers." Wufei shot down the hall, hitting one of the men.

Duo knew they had to get Heero out of there, and there was only one way to do that. It was a risky call, but he had to do it. "Wufei, help Trowa and get Heero out of here. I'll hold them off."

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Just do it!" There was no more questioning. Wufei spun around and helped Trowa support Heero. There was one more thing that Duo had to make sure of though. "Wufei!" He called behind him. "If this place doesn't blow up in fifteen minutes, you know what to do." He didn't have the time to look back to see Wufei nod his head though. He had a good ten people shooting at him. He knew that he just had to buy the others enough time to get Heero out. Fifteen minutes was plenty of time, he just hoped it was enough for him to get of there was well.

_End Part Four_

**AN: This story is going a lot longer than I actually expected. It was just going to be a quick and simple Duo and Quatre get together fic. But then stuff kept popping in my head…X.X make it stop! The ideas – they just keep coming! I'm writing part five right now; everything is planned out. But I just wrote part three and four in a matter of three days (no, not hard) and I'm tired and lazy so it may be a few days. (I promise it will be up within the week.)**


	5. Part Five

Behind Closed Doors

_**Vastulja Sata Menton**_

_Part Five_

Wufei sighed as he looked at his watch. It had been thirteen minutes since they had left Duo behind. It had been enough time to get out and get far enough away for when they blew the place up. Fourteen minutes, and the building was still standing. Had something happened? Surly Duo had gotten out, hadn't he? Fifteen minutes. Wufei looked to Trowa and the other boy nodded. Wufei prayed to whatever god there was that Duo had gotten out. He pulled the detonator out of his pocket and pressed the button. There was a second's delay before the building began to explode. They watched the building crumble, almost mesmerized. It had been awhile since they had blown a building up. Wufei got his senses about himself and turned to Trowa.

"We need to call a medical team out here. There is no way we can get Heero back without causing more damage." Trowa nodded in agreement, still staring at the demolished building. Wufei flipped out his phone and called headquarters.

"_Preventors Headquarters. How may I be of assistance to you this evening?_"

"Wufei Chang. I need a med team at my coordinates immediately. Send a search team as well."

"_Right away Mr. Chang._"

"A search team?" Trowa asked, looking from Heero's laying body to Wufei.

"For survivors." Wufei didn't look at Trowa though. He kept his eyes on the destruction before him. _Please be alive and safe Duo._

XXX

Quatre rushed into the hospital. When he had received the phone call that Duo was there he nearly lost it. He ignored the shouts of the receptionist and went straight to where Wufei had told him to go. He burst into the waiting room, a deadly look on his face. Trowa and Wufei looked up from where they were when he entered. Wufei stood and quickly went to the blond man.

"Where is he?" Quatre barked.

"He's in surgery right now," Wufei informed, treading softly. Quatre was not pretty when he was mad.

"What? What happened?!" Quatre was about to strangle someone, it could be seen in his eyes.

"We aren't exactly sure. We have to wait until he gets out. Just calm down." Wufei soothed, leading the blond over to a chair. Quatre sighed and fell into the seat. His mood did a one-eighty; Wufei sometimes wondered if the boy was bipolar.

"What about Heero? How is he?" Quatre asked, looking from Trowa to Wufei.

"He just got out of surgery. A broken ankle, shin, nose, and two broken fingers." Trowa informed curtly.

Quatre visibly winced. Someone had clearly wanted some information

XXX

"It's been an hour now! That's a total of two and a half hours he's been in there!" Quatre exclaimed.

"It will be okay Quatre. Don't worry." Wufei soothed.

"Don't worry?! How can I _not_ worry? What could possibly take two and a half hours?!" Quatre jumped up. He was about to loose it.

"Quatre. Heero's been out of surgery for an hour. How about we go and see if he's a wake," Trowa suggested on a limb. He really didn't want anything to do with Quatre, but the blond's instability was putting him on edge.

"Huh? Oh, okay sure." Quatre nodded. It was then that Wufei was truly convinced that Quatre had to have a mood disorder of some type. Trowa led the way as they all went to Heero's room. The former wing pilot looked like he was just about to wake. Trowa sat down in the chair beside the bed, Quatre stood at the foot, and Wufei leaned against a wall. Heero moaned, mumbling a curse word. He slowly opened his eyes and blinked.

"Ugg. What happened?" He asked, rubbing his face with his left hand.

"You got kidnapped. But Duo, Wufei and I got you out of there," Trowa answered.

Heero moaned. He looked around, noticing that Duo was missing but Quatre was there. That was strange. He would figure that out later though. He needed to take his own condition in first. He had a cast around his left ankle up to his knee and two fingers on his right hand were braced. Something was covering his nose, a splint of some sort no doubt. He had lost consciousness right after they had broken everything. He was able to tolerate the pain; they had just knocked him in the head one too many times causing him to black out. Well, he had his own answers but there was one more thing. He looked to everyone and asked, "So where is Duo?"

A dark emotion flashed in Quatre's eyes and Heero noticed it. Wufei spoke up though. "He's in surgery right now."

"What? What happened to him?" Heero asked in confusion.

"We're not really sure. We're waiting for him to get out to find out." Trowa answered. As Trowa and Heero continued to talk, a nurse came in and pulled Wufei out into the hall.

"Cassandra," Wufei greeted; the nurse just happened to be his ex-girlfriend.

"Wufei. I want you to see Duo first. I know that Quatre can be very sensitive. Duo just got out of surgery; I'll take you to him." Cassandra led Wufei down the hall a ways and into a room. The Chinese man was very confused, but he braced himself nonetheless. He stepped up to the bed, looking the braided American over. For the most part, everything seemed to be already, but then Wufei saw it. He understood then why Cassandra had brought him first. Quatre was not going to take the sight of Duo lightly. Wufei sighed; he hadn't expected this, but then again he wasn't sure what to expect. He had to get Quatre. He left the room and went to Heero's room.

"Quatre," Wufei said from the door. The blond looked to him, hope in his eyes. "Duo's just gotten out of surgery."

Quatre took a step away from Heero's bed. "Can…can I see him?"

"He's still asleep, but yes." Wufei led Quatre down the hall but warned him. "Now, Quatre…something happened to Duo and I just want you to prepare yourself."

Quatre nodded. He was ready for the worse. They entered the room and Quatre stepped up to the bed. No amount of preparation would have been enough. It never was no matter what the situation. IT was no lie that Quatre was in shock, but not nearly as much as Duo would be when he woke up. Quatre could tear his eyes away from the spot where Duo's left forearm and hand were supposed to be. The only thing left was a stub wrapped in gauze.

Wufei stepped up next to the shocked man. "Quatre?"

"What…?"

"Cassandra says that they tried to save the rest of his arm. There wasn't anything they could do though; they had to amputate just above the elbow." Wufei placed a hand on Quatre's shoulder.

"Oh my god. Duo…" Quatre felt like his legs were about to give way. Wufei pulled up a chair and helped him sit down. The blond took hold of Duo's only remaining hand, holding it tight and fight back tears. He took in the rest of Duo's body. He had been burned pretty badly; most of his right arm was wrapped to treat the burns. The American's body was mostly covered in a gown and blanket, but one could guess that he had been burned all over. He also had a gash that cut above and below his right eye; Quatre prayed that whatever had created the cut had just missed Duo's eye. Duo wasn't in very good shape, and Quatre now understood why he had been in surgery for so long. "Oh, Duo."

Wufei frowned. He wondered when everything had gone so wrong; when their happy little lives had begun to spiral downward. _When Quatre had broken up with Trowa? No, the war. Not even then; when we had all been born._ He shook his head. Nothing was going to be the same ever again.

XXX

Later that night, Wufei had forced Quatre to go home to get some rest. Trowa was keeping Heero company and Wufei had decided to stay with Duo for the night just in case he woke up during the middle of the night. The doctors had said that he wouldn't wake up until the next day, but didn't he didn't want to take any chances. Duo was a former Gundam pilot for one, and drugs had always affected them all differently than normal people. Wufei didn't want Duo to wake up in the condition he was in without anyone there. The Chinese man had settled himself in the chair with a book, but it wasn't long before he had fallen asleep.

There was a noise, and Wufei was pulled out of his slumber. His book had fallen to the floor and he had slouched in the chair. The Chinese man turned his attention to Duo whom was rousing. He sat up and waited for Duo to wake up completely.

Duo moaned. His head was pounding and everything was hurting. He was trying to figure out where he was and what had happened. Slowly, he opened his eyes and was pleased to find very little light. He looked at the ceiling for a moment, deducting that he was in the hospital with the help of his other sense. He sat up as best as he could and surveyed the room. He wasn't surprised to find someone sitting next to him, though he was surprised to find that it was Wufei. He blinked.

"Good to see you're finally awake," Wufei greeted, but he bore no smile.

"Ugg. What happened?" Duo asked, his brow creased in pain.

"I'm not totally sure. We've been waiting for you to wake to tell us," Wufei admitted.

Duo tired to remember, but it hurt his head too much. He went to rub his eyes, but only one hand rose in answer to his command. That was strange. He tried again, but nothing happened. It was then that he looked down to see what was wrong. His left arm had risen just like the right, but thee was no hand or forearm. The only thing left was a stub that had been wrapped. _What the hell?!_ Could his eyes be deceiving him? He moved his arm, trying to wiggle fingers that weren't there. His eyes were telling the truth all right. He quickly looked to Wufei, panic filling his features. "What-?"

"I'm sorry, Duo. They tried to save the rest of the arm, but they weren't able to. They had no choice but to amputate." Wufei's face was sad.

Duo looked at what was left of his left arm. Shock and a feeling of great loss filled his entire being. He had lost half of his arm? What had happened? He wracked his brain, pushing past the pain. He remembered the rescue mission, the unexpected encounter with the enemy, and staying behind to fight. But then…then what? Fifteen minutes hadn't been long enough apparently. He hadn't gotten out of the building when Wufei had set off the charges. He should have been dead; he was lucky to be alive. But he didn't feel lucky. He was sure that death would have been better. He had half an arm now; how would he live with only half an arm?

"Duo? Are you okay?" Wufei asked, leaning towards the American.

Duo looked up. Was he okay? He wasn't sure; all he knew was that he felt empty. Where was Quatre; he needed Quatre. But wait, no. Had Quatre seen him like this? Would the blond want to stay with him still? What if he didn't? Could he deal with the heartbreak?

"Duo?"

"I…don't know," Duo admitted. His world was starting to crumble. His entire life had changed in a split second; nothing would be the same. He couldn't work his job that was for sure. How would he keep his apartment then though? He would have to get a new job. But who would want to hire a one-armed war vet? He was so young, and his entire future had shattered into a million pieces.

"Duo, I'll be right back." Wufei stood and quickly left.

Duo nodded absently, lost in his own thoughts. He was so lost that he didn't notice when Wufei re-entered with other people. Heero and Trowa had come in with Wufei; Heero was struggling with crutches (refusing to use a wheel chair) because of his two broken fingers. Duo was pulled out of his dark world when Wufei touched him on the shoulder. He looked around, becoming aware of his visitors and feeling very exposed. "Heero, how are you?" He asked, wanting to forget about his own problems. He couldn't hide from his issues, but he could run until there was nowhere left to go.

"Oh, I'm fine. A broken ankle and shin, a broken nose and two broken fingers. Holding up fairly well, thanks." Heero answered, leaning on his crutches for support. He refused the chair offered to him by Wufei, feeling a need to prove something to himself.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Duo raised an eyebrow, a questioning look on his face. Heero gave the American a glare, pretty much telling him to drop it. And Duo did drop it. But that meant that all attention was on him, and he still wasn't ready to face the reality of things. "So, where is Quat?"

The others looked at each other. They could tell that Duo was avoiding his own problem, but no one said anything about it. Wufei spoke up, "He went home to get some rest. He'll probably be back in the morning."

All too suddenly, panic and fear filled Duo. Why had he even mentioned Quatre? HE was still afraid of his boyfriend's reaction. He wasn't just afraid, he dreaded it. It was almost like the others sensed his fear, but before anything could be said Heero kicked Wufei and Trowa out. He moved over and took the chair then, puling it up beside the bed.

"Duo, you're worried about what Quatre might think, aren't you?" Heero asked quite bluntly.

Duo looked to Heero. "I don't know what you're talking about Heero," he lied.

"Duo, I dated you for two years. I can read you like an open book. I can tell you're worried." Duo looked away. He didn't want to face his problems; he wasn't ready yet. But Heero always had a way of making you look your issues straight in the eye, even if you didn't want to. "Don't be."

This caught Duo's attention and he turned back to Heero. "W-what?" he stuttered.

"Don't be worried."

A dark emotion filled Duo's eyes. "I'm a one armed freak (1) Heero. How can I not be worried?"

"You taught me that love is blind Duo. It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside. If Quatre loves you, it wont matter that you're missing half of your arm," Heero stated matter-of-factly. There was a bite to his tone. Duo needed the truth and Heero was going to be blunt about it.

Duo blinked; he hadn't expected that. Maybe Heero was right; maybe love was blind.

Heero stood with the help of his crutches. "It really doesn't matter what I say Duo. But take this advice. Don't shut yourself off. You'll just end up pushing Quatre away if you do." He left then.

Duo started at his lap, ever aware of the lack of appendage in his peripheral vision. He couldn't run forever. There would eventually be a roadblock to force him to face his problems. He would have to accept reality and his condition. He just hoped that Quatre would still love him.

_End Part Five_

**AN: This chapter seemed longer on paper…oh well. :D Oh my, what have I done to Duo!? This chapter was a little different than the others in the fact that I took a different POV. I am the omniscient author! I know all thoughts! Mwahahaha!…**

**(1) I'm not trying to offend anyone with this statement, and if I have I apologize.**

**Oh, and part six might be a week or two. I just got a new job (yay!) and I'm still working on what to have happen in part six. It will probably be the last chapter, with an epilogue after that. :3**


	6. Part Six

Behind Closed Doors

_**Vastulja Sata Menton**_

_Part Six_

The next morning, Duo woke to a bright light shinning through the blinds in his room. He wanted to continue to sleep, but the sun seemed to have different plans. He sighed and sat up. There was no one else in the room with him; Wufei must have gone to get some rest. This didn't bother Duo though; he wasn't really fond of people fussing over him. He wondered what time it was, and what time Quatre would show up. What was he to do about Quatre? He had no choice but to face the truth and if the blond Arab didn't' want to stay with him then he would just have to move on. He wasn't sure how he was going to make a living, but everything would work out in he end, he hoped. He sighed, feeling kind of hungry. _When's breakfast? I'm starving._ As if on cue, a nurse walked into his room. She was a short petit brunette and had a cheery smile on her face.

"Good morning Mr. Maxwell. My name is Cathy and I will be your nurse today. How are you feeling?" Cathy stated, going about the room to get the tools to check his vitals and take his blood.

"Morning. A little hungry, but I guess I can't complain," Duo admitted with a smile. Cathy's cheerfulness was contagious.

"That's good. A nurse will be in to give you breakfast in about twenty minutes. But for now I'm going to check your blood pressure and take some blood. That sound okay?" Cathy seemed to have been updated on how Duo hated everything to do with hospitals.

"Sounds okay." He really didn't want his blood drawn, but he figured that it was for the best.

Cathy was quick and was gone in no time at all. This was a relief to Duo because he was in desperate need to use the rest room. By the time he was finished and climbing back in bed, a nurse was entering his room with a cart full of trays.

"Good morning, dear. Nice hot breakfast for you." The nurse gave Duo his food and he ate it hungrily. It wasn't the best, but he was too hungry to care. He quickly finished the food and set it aside. He was just wondering what he could do to pass the time when there was a soft hesitant knock on his door. Duo knew that knock. His heart began to race and panic filled his entire being. Slowly, he turned to look into soft blue eyes. There was an uncertainty there, as if Quatre wasn't sure if he could come in.

Duo took a deep breath and softly stated, "You can come in."

Quatre slowly entered the room and sat down on the edge of the only chair in the room, located to the right of Duo. There was a moment of silence before the blond spoke. "How are you doing, Duo?"

Duo looked down at his right hand that lay in his lap. How was he doing? Other than the fact that he was missing part of an arm, he was peachy. "Okay, I guess. As good as one could be."

"Duo," Quatre abruptly took hold of Duo's right arm, "I'm-"

"No, Quatre," Duo cut the blond off, looking to him. "Don't say you're sorry. This is my own fault. If anything, I should be saying sorry to you."

Quatre looked at him with questioning eyes. "What do you mean?

"I broke my promise to you. I didn't come back in one piece." It was Duo's attempt to break the tension with humor. He was also trying to gauge Quatre's reaction.

Tears filled Quatre's eyes, and suddenly Duo found himself in a tight embrace. "Oh Duo! It doesn't matter how many 'pieces' you come back to me in, I'll still love you no matter what!"

A little black ball shattered inside of Duo. All the fear and doubt he had broken into a million tiny pieces. A small smile formed on his lips, but before he could say anything Quatre was kissing him. How could he have doubted Quatre's love? The blond wasn't shallow or selfish, though he could be a brat at times. There was still a small part inside of Duo that was struggling with the loss of his arm, but over all he was okay. For the first time since he woke he was sort of okay with his injury.

Quatre stayed the rest of the day to keep Duo company. Wufei popped in once to see how he was doing and seemed pleased that the American was doing better. The doctor had come in to tell them that Duo would only have to stay a few more days so that they could treat his burns. But after that, he would be free to go. For the time being, Duo set aside his job issue and the like. He could deal with that when he got out of he hospital. There was no use in worrying about something you can't do anything about.

XXX

A week later, Duo was back to his apartment. Hilde had come over to help him get his affairs in order, as Quatre had a business meeting he had to attend.

"Duo, have you figured out what you're going to do about a job?" Hilde called from the dining room table. She was pouring over Duo's bills and budget and there was a slight problem with Duo's new lack of income.

_Hmm_, Duo thought as he looked at his clothing. He was trying to figure out what he could still wear and not look, well, funny. Some of his clothing would have to be tweaked, like his long sleeve shirts. He took a deep breath and admitted loudly, "No."

Hilde sighed. "Why can't you just move in with Quatre? He's already offered.

Duo glared at his shirts, though it was Hilde that the glare was directed at. He made his way out of his room and to the dining room. "A: I think that's moving too fast. I want to take this relationship at a nice stead pace, you know that."

"No one said you two had to sleep in the same room. You could just sleep in a different room," Hilde pointed out.

This time, Hilde got the full blast of the glare. "Hilde, that's just weird. Anyway. B: I refuse to be dependent on anyone, and I don't' want it to seem like I'm taking advantage of Quatre."

"You can't refuse all help you get offered, Duo. Plus, he knows that you wouldn't be taking advantage of him. He _wants_ to help."

"I haven't refused _all_ help. I'm letting _you_ help me, aren't I?" Duo smiled cheekily. _Point for Duo!_

Hilde huffed, going back to the papers in front of her despite the fact that she had run into a dead end. Just as Duo was going back to contemplate his wardrobe, his cell phone rang. With some difficulty, he pulled it out and flipped it open.

"Hello?"

"_Duo? It's Sally; are you busy?_" Sally asked over the phone.

Duo stopped halfway down the hall. Why was Sally calling him? He had withdrawn his inactive status and didn't work there anymore. "Not at the moment. Why?"

"_Well, I was wondering if you could come down. I'd like to talk to you, if possible._"

Duo thought for a moment. It all seemed kind of strange. But it couldn't hurt to see what Sally wanted. "Uh, sure. What time?"

"_How does two sound?_"

"Um, sure. I can do that."

"_Alright. Thank you Duo. I'll see you then._"

"Bye." Duo hung up, but stood there for a moment in thought.

"Who was that, Duo?" Hilde called in curiosity.

Duo went out to the dining room and sat down across from Hilde. "That was Sally. She wants me to come in at two to talk about something."

"Did she say what about?" Hilde leaned on the table.

"No."

"Do you need a ride?"

"Could you?" Duo asked, a sheepish smile on his face. He wasn't able to drive yet again. He knew that he was more than capable, but the government didn't think so until he proved it.

"Not a problem Duo."

Duo sighed. He hopped that whatever Sally wanted, it wasn't something bad. He didn't think he could deal with more disappointments just yet.

XXX

Duo stared at the elevator as if it were the gateway to hell. He dreaded going back up to the sixth floor. He hadn't been up there since he had resigned a little over a month ago, and he was sure that his accident had made its way through the grape vine. It was one thing for people to know you were permanently injured; it was another for them to see you. The elevator doors opened and he slowly stepped in. He felt like he was heading towards his doom; curiosity killed the cat as they always said. Duo looked at his reflection in the closed elevator doors. He had wanted to wear a long sleeve shirt, but the weather had been far too nice (and a jacket would have been just as silly for the same reasons). SO he had put on a black T-shirt, much to his dislike. Hilde had made a point that he couldn't hide form the world forever though. He guessed that she was right; the he still didn't like looking at himself in the mirror. The elevator stopped and a wave of panic crashed into Duo. He couldn't turn back though; he had to face his fears. The doors dinged as they opened. Duo took a deep breath and stepped out. He took a split second to look around, thankful to see most everyone working. _Well duh! Why wouldn't they be?_

Quickly, but not too quickly, he made his way to Sally's office. He avoided making eye contact with anyone and did his best to ignore the stares from the people as he passed by cubicles. A buzz swept through the office faster than the speed of light and by the time Duo was at Sally's office door, people as far back as the back corner were looking over cubicle walls. Painfully aware of all the unwanted attention he was getting, Duo knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Duo quickly opened the door and stepped into the office. Sally sat at her desk looking through papers. She looked up when the door of her office was closed. "Duo, please come have a seat." Duo did as asked and sat down in the chair that was offered. "You're probably wondering why I called you here today. Well, I'll get straight to the point. It has to do with your accident."

"What about it?" Duo asked, a little confused.

(1)"Hear me out before you say anything, okay Duo? Now, we know that it was your decision to go on the rescue mission; your decision to stay on inactive duty. We realize that your injury has taken a lot of opportunities away in the area of jobs. We are therefore offering you," Sally paused, as if he was trying to figure out exactly what to say. "We know you no longer work here, but we want to give you twenty years of salary, sort of like a really long paid leave of absence. This is not pity money or anything of the sort. We feel that it is right to do this, since it is partially our fault that you are in this position. You can decline it, and if you accept it say if in ten years you no longer want it we can end the whole thing. What do you say?"

Duo was in shock. The answer to almost all of his problems had just been dropped into his lap. It was like a dream come true. Was it right or okay to take the money though? He didn't see why not.

"If you choose to accept, this will only be known by myself and the president of Preventors. You can take a few days to think it over if you want. There's no rush." Sally reassured.

"I don't need a few days." Duo finally spoke. "I accept."

Sally smiled. It seemed that she was hoping that he would accept. "Very well. A check will be deposited directly into your bank account every month. Thank you very much for your service Duo."

"You're welcome Ma'am." They both stood and shook hands. Duo left, and as he exited the office he noticed the many heads popping up to look over the walls. He almost laughed then. Things didn't seem as bad as they were before. He knew he could face the world and that it didn't matter what other people thought. He left the office building with a bounce in his step that day. He was ready to overcome any obstacle that came his way. He knew he could do anything he put his mind to; he was a former Gundam pilot after all.

_End Behind Closed Doors_

**AN: Yes, that is totally a formality up there at the end. It's not really the end 'cause I can't resist doing an epilogue. That shouldn't take me too long to write; a week or two. :3**

**(1)This was the hardest part of this entire story to write. I had NO idea how to word this and make it sound like a good thing. x.x I hope it turned out okay.**

**Oh, and thank you so much to those few of you who reviewed. :D**


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